Final answer:
The purpose of confirmation testing is to check that a defect has been fixed, while regression testing ensures no other system parts are affected by the fix.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement that best compares the purposes of confirmation testing and regression testing is: B. The purpose of confirmation testing is to check that a previously found defect has been fixed, while the purpose of regression testing is to ensure that no other parts of the system have been adversely affected by the fix.
Confirmation testing is performed after a defect has been fixed to verify that the specific issue has indeed been resolved. It is a focused test to ensure the fix works as intended. On the other hand, regression testing is a broader test to check for unintended side-effects elsewhere in the system as a result of the changes made. It involves running previous sets of tests to confirm that existing functionality continues to work as expected.